Chapter 13: Dreams

A laugh to brighten even the darkest days echoed throughout Isa’s mind.

Her earliest memories were of her dreaming. At first, the dreams were nothing but distant, muffled sounds. She didn’t feel anything nor see anything but darkness. As time passed, she felt like she could differentiate between the sounds. Some of them sounded deeper and more menacing, almost frightening her, while others sounded soft, filling her with joy and comfort.

Her earliest memories that weren’t dreams were of Arit’s house. She knew Arit wasn’t her father, nor was Dalia her mother, but she took comfort in them as if they were. However, Arit could be strict, especially regarding Isa practicing to control her powers.

She didn’t know why or how she had gotten her powers. She didn’t know if she was born with them or someone, maybe even something, gave them to her. Most of all, she didn’t know if they were a gift or a curse.

She took joy in making people happy, and every time she managed to control her power, even the most serious men couldn’t help but be filled with bliss; some even shed tears of joy. But her eyes were also why she couldn’t leave the house and see the world Dalia had told her about.

But every time she managed to make her eyes glow, she felt as though she wasn’t herself. When her eyes shined golden, everything went dark, and for a short moment, she felt as though she was dreaming again before the light faded, and she woke up to people looking at her in awe.

The more she used her eyes, the more vivid the dreams became. As the years passed, what once were distant muffled sounds were now voices. And what was once darkness was now blurred scenes playing before her closed eyes. The different colors of the background changed with every dream, sometimes green and blue, other times black or red. But the white colors that moved in front of them were constant. At first, they were nothing, but like the sounds, the more Isa had used her eyes, the clearer the smudges became, eventually becoming outlines of what she thought to be people.

There was a particular voice she felt especially attracted to. A voice she assigned to an outline of a young girl, Isa thought, maybe even her age. She was louder than the others, constantly giggling and laughing while running around. Isa felt connected to her; she imagined the girl made her feel like her eyes made others. Other voices and people often accompanied the girl, also young and sometimes laughing, but far less than the girl Isa liked so much.

But there was one voice that was different from the others. No matter how hard Isa tried, she couldn’t clearly see the person to whom that voice belonged to. It was as though the person was there with the others but also far away. They rarely appeared in Isa’s dreams, but when they did, and Isa could hear their voice, it felt as though they were talking directly to her, and although she couldn’t make out the person, it felt as though they knew she was there watching her like she was watching them.

…

A knock resounded from Isa’s door.

“Come in,” Isa said.

Arit entered, and a slight smile formed on his face once he saw Isa sit on her pillows with her eyes, as most of the time, directed to Ephyria lit by the full moon’s light.

“You didn’t rest, did you?” Arit walked up to Isa.

“I can’t sleep,” Isa replied grinningly.

“You’re so eager to leave my house? Do you hate it that much?” Arit acted insulted.

“No, but it’s going to be the first time I see the outside from somewhere else than this window.”

“I’m sorry, but you will be in the carriage most of the time, so you will continue to see the world through a window,” Arit explained. “Come, the others are waiting.”

Isa’s heart raced as she jumped up from the pillows; as Arit walked toward the door, she glanced through her window for one last time before leaving the beautiful view of Ashiir’s capital behind.

.

As Isa walked down the stairs toward the entrance, she saw Dalia waiting for them with black robes in her arms crossed before her chest.

Arit nodded at her before taking a robe, walking outside toward the carriage, and talking to the guards around it.

“Here,” Dalia tried to put on the robe on Isa, who could hardly stand still.

“Thank you,” Isa grinned after lifting up the hood that entirely covered her small face.

“Come quickly; we don’t want to let them wait,” Dalia urged, putting on her own robe and pushing Isa outside.

At first, Arit had told Isa that they were the only ones that were going to leave, but Isa protested and said she wouldn’t come if Dalia couldn’t accompany her.

Isa couldn’t recognize the people in thick robes that Arit was talking to as she ran directly past them and tore open the carriage door before practically jumping on a seat.

Arit couldn’t help but smile while watching her and entered the carriage after he finished his conversation, followed by Dalia.

As the carriage drove off, the few hooded guards rode alongside it on horses specifically bred to endure the desert’s heat.

“Psst…Pssssssttt…Hey,” The guard turned to the carriage after hearing the whisper, only to see Isa staring at her with big eyes and gesturing her to move away from the window so she could see.

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The guard slowed down and rode so as not to block the girl’s view.

Although she only saw sand dunes and some rock formations in the distance, Isa couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Arit also looked outside the carriage’s window and let his mind wander.

He always knew that what he was doing would cost him his life and probably the life of everyone associated with him if he ever were to get caught.

For years he had subtly tried to get people from high positions to believe him. But he also understood them; he himself couldn’t believe it when he found Isa.

The golden eyes, just like in the old stories.

The story of The Child That Remained was a story everybody once knew about, independent of birthplace or rank.

The myth of the child of a god walking among humans. It’s said that child will bring on a new world.

The religion of the goddess of the moon, Shani, originated from that myth and evolved throughout the centuries until it eventually became what it is now. The Child That Remained became largely forgotten.

Practicing different religions was strictly forbidden in Ashiir and would be treated as treason and punished by death. If someone were to come forward and say they found The Child That Remained, who would challenge the Sha’a’ni as the incarnation of a goddess, they, along with the child, would be tortured and executed at once. Just like anyone who dared to believe them.

Arit was nervous. He, as a politician, could bring many guards with him but feared it would garner unwanted attention if he had brought as many as some of the politicians that had visited him had offered.

They were on their way to a safe house in Khiisall, an essential city near Ephyra, which it wouldn’t be suspicious for people in high ranks to come to instead of the house of a low-ranking politician like Arit. From there on out, he hoped to build better connections with high-ranking politicians and, after a couple of years with Isa having her power better under control and the political backing and protection necessary, finally show the world what he had found and let the people experience Isa’s power.

…

(A couple of minutes earlier)

“There, There she is; that’s her!” Casin exclaimed, pointing at a small figure in a black robe leaving the house in the distance.

“How do you know?” Asiir narrowed his eyes.

With his eyes focused on the small figure stepping into the carriage, Casin pushed a small sharp into Asiir’s hands.

“Ahh,” Assir pulled back his hand, surprised by the shard’s odd movements.

He noticed as the sand under the shard slightly vibrated. The shard looked like a part of a broken sword. It was turquoise with thin white lines running through it. But the longer he looked at it, the more the shard’s colors began to move hypnotically like water. Blue colors flowed on the blade’s surface like drops of blood dissolved in water.

He carefully picked up the shard and felt it pulsating in his palm. He held it to his ear and listened to it as it made irregular, deep humming sounds.

“Don’t!” Casin grabbed the shard. “Don’t listen to it.”

“What is this, and where did you get this?” Asiir asked.

“You’re here to help me get the girl, not ask questions,” Casin replied while pocketing the shard. “Come, they’re leaving.”

Casin jumped up and ran to his camel.

“I thought this was some random girl in some small village; you didn’t tell me she was guarded,” Asiir complained as he watched the carriage being escorted away by twenty guards.

“You’ll figure it out,” Casin answered.

“One guard, two, shit, maybe even three, but twenty. How the fuck should I handle that in your opinion?” Asiir asked as he mounted his camel and followed after Casin.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t survive walking this godforsaken continent because everyone took pity on an old man,” Casin replied. “Just do as I say.”

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